Reactive armour module

ABSTRACT

A reactive armour module ( 14 ) including a sandwich structure ( 16 ) which is enclosed by a housing ( 18 ) and which is formed by at least one sandwich surface element ( 20 ) which is angled in a roof ridge shape and which has an HE-explosive layer portion ( 40 ) between a front plate ( 34 ) and an intermediate plate ( 36 ) and which has a damping layer ( 42 ) of elastic material between the intermediate plate ( 36 ) and a rear plate ( 38 ). Preferably at least two sandwich surface elements ( 20 ) which are angled in a roof ridge shape are arranged in mutually superposed relationship turned crosswire relative to each other.

[0001] The invention concerns a reactive armour module as set forth in the classifying portion of claim 1.

[0002] Such a reactive armour module is known for example from DE 37 29 211 C1. That known armour module has two inert plates, between which an explosive is arranged. The plates are provided approximately diagonally in respect of height in a parallelepipedic structure and are embedded in a hard foam body. They are arranged in front of a laminated brittle body structure which under a thin explosive cover layer has brittle bodies which are spaced from each other by thin explosive separating layers. That armour module can be provided with fixing elements for arrangement thereof on a passive armouring assembly.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a reactive armour module of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, with which the impact action of hollow charges is reduced and sympathetic detonation of adjacent armour modules is avoided.

[0004] In accordance with the invention, in a reactive armour module of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, that object is attained by the features of the characterising portion of claim 1. Preferred developments and configurations of the reactive armour module according to the invention are characterised in appendant claims 2 to 6. In accordance with claim 7 at least two sandwich surface elements which are angled in a roof ridge shape are arranged in mutually superposed relationship turned crosswise relative to each other. Independent patent protection is requested for that configuration of the reactive armour module. Developments of the reactive armour module according to the invention are also characterised in appendant claims 8 to 11.

[0005] The reactive armour module according to the invention has the advantages that it has a high level of effectiveness in relation to HE-bombardment —even under perpendicular bombardment—or that it has a virtually angle-independent effectiveness, and that sympathetic detonation of adjacent armour modules is avoided.

[0006] Further details, features and advantages will be apparent from the description hereinafter of configurations of the armour module according to the invention and essential details thereof, which are shown diagrammatically and not true to scale in the drawing. In the drawing:

[0007]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in section of a first embodiment of the reactive armour module on a passive armouring assembly of which a portion is shown,

[0008]FIG. 2 shows the detail II of FIG. 1 on another scale, that is to say in longitudinal section in respect of a portion thereof, illustrating the sandwich surface element angled in a roof ridge shape of the armour module of FIG. 1,

[0009]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sandwich surface element angled in a roof ridge shape of the armour module of FIG. 1,

[0010]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a second and preferred configuration of the reactive armour module in combination with a passive armour assembly of which a portion is shown,

[0011]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of two sandwich surface elements of the armour module of FIG. 4, which are angled in a roof ridge shape and are arranged in mutually superposed relationship and turned crosswise relative to each other, and

[0012]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 4 of an embodiment of the reactive armour module in which a sandwich surface element which is angled in a roof ridge shape is combined with a spacer element.

[0013]FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a portion of a passive armouring assembly 10 on which there is provided a base protection 12. The passive armouring assembly 10 which is provided with the base protection 12 is provided with reactive armour modules 14 which are arranged in closely mutually juxtaposed relationship in order to implement a reduction in the impact action of hollow charges. The respective reactive armour module 14 has a sandwich structure 16 which contains an explosive layer and which is enclosed by a housing 18. The sandwich structure 16 is described in further detail hereinafter with reference to FIG. 2.

[0014] In the embodiment of the reactive armour module 14 which is shown in FIG. 1 the sandwich structure 16 is formed by a sandwich surface element 20 which is angled in a roof ridge shape and which has a square base surface. That square base surface is indicated in FIG. 3 by double dash-dotted lines and identified there by reference numeral 22.

[0015] The spread angle, identified by reference 23 in FIG. 1, of the sandwich surface element 20 which is angled in a roof ridge shape and which has two equal-length limbs 24 is for example 90 degrees of angle. That avoids sympathetic detonation of adjacent armour modules 14.

[0016] The sandwich surface element 20 which is angled in a roof ridge shape of the respective reactive armour module 14 is enclosed by a separating wall casing 26 which at the front is connected to a cover means 28 and which at the rear is connected to a base element 30 in order to form the housing 18 of the reactive armour module 14. The sandwich surface element 20 which is angled in a roof ridge shape is arranged in the housing 18 without a gap or play, that is to say the sandwich surface element 20 which is angled in a roof ridge shape bears snugly against the separating wall casing 26, against the cover means 28 and against the base element 30 of the housing.

[0017] Fixing elements 32 are provided at the rear side of the base element 30, which rear side is remote from the cover means 28 at the front side. The respective reactive armour module 14 is replaceably fixed to the base protection 12 of the passive armouring assembly 10 by means of the fixing elements 32.

[0018]FIG. 2 is a view in longitudinal section showing a portion of the sandwich surface element 20 which is angled in a roof ridge shape and which comprises a front plate 34, an intermediate plate 36 and a rear plate 38, wherein provided between the front plate 34 and the intermediate plate 36 is an HE-explosive layer portion 40 forming the above-mentioned explosive layer of the sandwich structure 16 while provided between the intermediate plate 36 and the rear plate 38 is a damping layer 42 of elastic material. The front plate 34 desirably comprises sintered material, for example sintered tungsten powder, it can be of a thickness of for example 6 to 8 mm. The HE-explosive layer portion 40 can be for example of a thickness of 4 to 5 mm. The intermediate plate 36 is desirably in the form of a steel plate which for example is from 2 to 4 mm in thickness. The damping layer 42 can comprise a rubber material and be of a thickness of 1 to 2 mm. The rear plate 38 is preferably formed by a buckling plate which can be of a thickness of 1 to 2 mm. It will be appreciated that other materials and/or thickness sizes are also possible.

[0019]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a sandwich surface element angled in a roof ridge shape, with its square base surface 22 which has already been referred to hereinbefore.

[0020] Upon initiation of the sandwich surface element 20 which is angled in a roof ridge shape, the two limbs 24 are initiated so that a hollow charge jet which impinges on the reactive armour module 14 is in many cases affected twice. That consequently affords optimum effectiveness in relation to HE-bombardment, such effectiveness being virtually independent of angle.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a passive armouring assembly 10 with a base protection 12 and with reactive armour modules 14. In this embodiment each reactive armour module 14 has in a housing 18 a sandwich structure 16 formed by two sandwich surface elements 20 which are angled in a roof ridge shape and which are arranged in mutually superposed relationship and which are turned crosswise relative to each other. This is also clearly visible in FIG. 5 in which the two sandwich surface elements which are angled in a roof ridge shape are shown in a perspective view arranged in mutually superposed relationship and turned crosswise relative to each other.

[0022] The same details are identified in FIGS. 4 and 5 by the same references as in FIGS. 1 and 3 so that there is no need for all those features to be described in detail once again with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0023]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 3 showing a portion in longitudinal section of a passive armouring assembly 10 with a passive protection 12 and with reactive armour modules 14, wherein each reactive armour module 14 is of a similar design to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but wherein a sandwich surface element 20 angled in a roof ridge shape is combined with a spacer element 44. The sandwich surface element 20 which is angled in a roof ridge shape is spaced from the base protection 12 of the passive armouring assembly 10 by a defined distance, by means of the spacer element 44. That affords an enhancement in the effectiveness of the armour module 14 in relation to marginal penetration.

[0024] The same details are also identified in FIG. 6 by the same references as in FIGS. 1 to 5 so that there is no need for all those features to be described in detail once again with reference to FIG. 6. 

1. A reactive armour module comprising a sandwich structure (16) enclosed by a housing (18) and having an explosive layer, wherein two said sandwich structures (16) are arranged in a roof ridge shape relative to each other and wherein an HE-explosive layer portion (40) forming the explosive layer is arranged between a front plate (34) and an intermediate plate (36), and a damping layer (42) and a rear plate (38), characterised in that at least one said sandwich structure (16) is in the form of a sandwich surface element (20) which is angled in a roof ridge shape.
 2. A reactive armour module according to claim 1 characterised in that the front plate (34) comprises sintered material.
 3. A reactive armour module according to claim 1 characterised in that the intermediate plate (36) comprises steel.
 4. A reactive armour module according to claim 1 characterised in that the rear plate (38) is formed by a buckling plate.
 5. A reactive armour module according to claim 1 characterised in that the damping layer (42) comprises rubber material.
 6. A reactive armour module according to claim 1 characterised in that the at least one sandwich surface element (20) which is angled in a roof ridge shape has an at least approximately square base surface (22).
 7. A reactive armour module according to claim 1 characterised in that at least two sandwich surface elements (20) which are angled in a roof ridge shape are arranged in mutually superposed relationship and turned crosswise relative to each other.
 8. A reactive armour module according to claim 1 characterised in that the at least one sandwich surface element (20) which is angled in a roof ridge shape is enclosed by a separating wall casing (26) which is connected at a rear side thereof to a base element (30), so as to jointly form the housing (18) of the armour module (14).
 9. A reactive armour module according to claim 8 characterised in that the at least one sandwich surface element (20) which is angled in a roof ridge shape is located directly adjacent to the base element (30).
 10. A reactive armour module according to claim 8 characterised in that a spacer element (44) is provided between the at least one sandwich surface element (20) which is angled in a roof ridge shape and the base element (30).
 11. A reactive armour module according to claim 8 characterised in that fixing elements (32) are provided on a rear side of the base element (30). 